Most of us grow up having always known to touch wood or cross our fingers, and what happens when a princess kisses a frog or a boy pulls a sword from a stone, yet sadly, some of these things are now beginning to be forgotten. Legends, myths, and fairy tales: our world is made up of the stories we told ourselves about where we came from and how we got there. It is the same on Discworld, except that beings which on Earth are creatures of the imagination - like vampires, trolls, witches, and possibly, gods - are real, alive and in some cases kicking on the Disc.

Darwin's Watch: The Science of Discworld III: A Novel

Roundworld is in trouble again, and this time it looks fatal. Having created it in the first place, the wizards of Unseen University feel vaguely responsible for its safety. They know the creatures that lived there escaped the impending Big Freeze by inventing the space elevator - they even intervened to rid the planet of a plague of elves, who attempted to divert humanity onto a different time track. But now it's all gone wrong - Victorian England has stagnated, and the pace of progress would embarrass a limping snail.

The Globe: The Science of Discworld II: A Novel

The Globe goes beyond science to explore the development of the human mind. Terry Pratchett and his acclaimed co-authors Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen combine the tale of the wizards rewriting human history with discussions of the origins and evolution of culture, language, art, and science, offering a fascinating and brilliantly original view of the world we live in.

The Science of Discworld: A Novel

Not just another science audiobook and not just another Discworld novella, The Science of Discworld is a creative, mind-bending mash-up of fiction and fact, that offers a wizard’s-eye view of our world that will forever change how you look at the universe.

The Folklore of Discworld: Legends, Myths, and Customs from the Discworld with Helpful Hints from Planet Earth

Most of us grew up having always known when to touch wood or cross our fingers, and what happens when a princess kisses a frog or a boy pulls a sword from a stone, yet sadly some of these things are beginning to be forgotten. Legends, myths, and fairy tales: Our world is made up of the stories we told ourselves about where we came from and how we got here. It is the same on Discworld, except that beings, which on Earth are creatures of the imagination - like vampires, trolls, witches and, possibly, gods - are real, alive and, in some cases kicking, on the Disc.

A Blink of the Screen: Collected Shorter Fiction

A Blink of the Screen charts the course of Pratchett's long writing career: from his schooldays through to his first writing job on the Bucks Free Press and the origins of his debut novel, The Carpet People, and on again to the dizzy mastery of the phenomenally successful Discworld series.

The Science of Discworld II: The Globe

The acclaimed Science of Discworld centred on an original Pratchett story about the Wizards of Discworld. In it they accidentally witnessed the creation and evolution of our universe, a plot which was interleaved with a Cohen & Stewart non-fiction narrative about Big Science. In The Science of Discworld II our authors join forces again to see just what happens when the wizards meddle with history in a battle against the elves for the future of humanity on Earth. London is replaced by a dozy Neanderthal village.

Raising Steam: The Discworld Series, Book 40

The new Discworld novel, the 40th in the series, sees the Disc's first train come steaming into town. Change is afoot in Ankh-Morpork. Discworld's first steam engine has arrived, and once again Moist von Lipwig finds himself with a new and challenging job.

The Science of Discworld III: Darwin's Watch

Roundworld is in trouble again, and this time it looks fatal. Having created it in the first place, the wizards of Unseen University feel vaguely responsible for its safety. They know the creatures who lived there escaped the impending Big Freeze by inventing the space elevator - they even intervened to rid the planet of a plague of elves, who attempted to divert humanity onto a different time track. But now it's all gone wrong - Victorian England has stagnated and the pace of progress would embarrass a limping snail.

I Shall Wear Midnight

Tiffany Aching has spent years studying with senior witches, and now she is on her own. As the witch of the Chalk, she performs the bits of witchcraft that aren't sparkly, aren't fun, don't involve any kind of wand, and that people seldom ever hear about: She does the unglamorous work of caring for the needy. But someone - or something - is igniting fear, inculcating dark thoughts and angry murmurs against witches.

The Science of Discworld IV

The fourth book in the Science of Discworld series, and this time around dealing with the really big questions, Terry Pratchett’s brilliant new Discworld story Judgement Day is annotated with very big footnotes (the interleaving chapters) by mathematician Ian Stewart and biologist Jack Cohen, to bring you a mind-mangling combination of fiction, cutting-edge science and philosophy.Marjorie Daw is a librarian, and takes her job – and indeed the truth of words – very seriously. She doesn’t know it, but her world and ours – Roundworld – is in big trouble.

Dragons at Crumbling Castle: And Other Tales

A wonderful collection of short stories by master storyteller Sir Terry Pratchett, featuring dragons, dinosaurs, cavemen and car races! Dragons have invaded Crumbling Castle, and all of King Arthur's knights are either on holiday or visiting their grannies. It's a disaster! Luckily, there's a spare suit of armour and a very small boy called Ralph who's willing to fill it. Together with Fortnight the Friday knight and Fossfiddle the wizard, Ralph sets out to defeat the fearsome fire-breathers.

The World of Poo

From Snuff: "Vimes looked at the cover. The title was The World of Poo. When his wife was out of eyeshot he carefully leafed through it. Well, okay, you had to accept that the world had moved on and these days’ fairy stories were probably not going to be about twinkly little things with wings. As he turned page after page, it dawned on him that whomever had written this book, they certainly knew what would make kids like Young Sam laugh until they were nearly sick. The bit about sailing down the river almost made him smile.

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents

One rat, popping up here and there, squeaking loudly, and taking a bath in the cream, could be a plague all by himself. After a few days of this, it was amazing how glad people were to see the kid with his magical rat pipe. And they were amazing when the rats followed hint out of town. They'd have been really amazed if they'd ever found out that the rats and the piper met up with a cat somewhere outside of town and solemnly counted out the money.

Wintersmith: Discworld Childrens, Book 4

At nine, Tiffany Aching defeated the cruel Queen of Fairyland. At 11, she banished an ancient body-stealing evil. At 13, Tiffany faces a new challenge: a boy. And boys can be a bit of a problem when you're 13. But the Wintersmith isn't exactly a boy. He is winter itself.

In the 'fantasy' universe of the phenomenally bestselling Discworld series, everything runs on magic and common sense. The world is flat and million-to-one chances happen nine times out of ten. Our world seems different - it runs on rules, often rather strange ones. Science is our way of finding out what those rules are. The appeal of Discworld is that it mostly makes sense, in a way that particle physics does not.

Unseen Academicals: Discworld #32

Football has come to the ancient city of Ankh-Morpork - not the old-fashioned, grubby pushing and shoving, but the new, fast football with pointy hats for goalposts and balls that go gloing when you drop them. And now, the wizards of Unseen University must win a football match, without using magic, so they're in the mood for trying everything else.

A Hat Full of Sky: Discworld Childrens, Book 3

Tiffany Aching, the boldest heroine ever to swing a frying pan against the forces of evil, is beginning her apprenticeship in magic. She expects to work hard, learn spells, and become a witch. She doesn't expect to find herself doing chores, caring for the careless, and trying to outthink an ill-tempered nanny goat. There must be more to witchcraft than this!

A Slip of the Keyboard: Collected Nonfiction

Terry Pratchett has earned a place in the hearts of listeners the world over with his best-selling Discworld series - but in recent years he has become equally well-known and respected as an outspoken campaigner for causes including Alzheimer's research and animal rights. A Slip of the Keyboard brings together for the first time the finest examples of Pratchett's nonfiction writing, both serious and surreal: from musings on mushrooms to what it means to be a writer (and why banana daiquiris are so important).

Making Money: Discworld #36

The Ankh-Morpork Post Office is running like...well, not at all like a government office. The mail is delivered promptly. Postmaster General Moist von Lipwig, former arch-swindler and confidence man, has exceeded all expectations - including his own. So it's somewhat disconcerting when Lord Vetinari summons Moist to the palace and asks, "Tell me, Mr. Lipwig, would you like to make some real money?"

Monstrous Regiment: Discworld #31

War has come to Discworld...again. And, to no one's great surprise, the conflict centers around the small, insufferably arrogant, strictly fundamentalist duchy of Borogravia, which has long prided itself on its ability to beat up on its neighbors. This time, however, it's Borogravia that's getting its long-overdue comeuppance, which has left the country severely drained of young men.

The Carpet People

In the beginning, there was nothing but endless flatness. Then came the Carpet.... Now, the Carpet is home to many different tribes and peoples, and a new story: the story of Fray, sweeping a trail of destruction across the Carpet; the story of power-hungry mouls - and of two Munrung brothers who set out on an adventure to end all adventures when their village is flattened. It's a story that will come to a terrible end if someone doesn't do something about it.

Thief of Time: A Discworld Novel

The construction of the world's first truly accurate clock starts a race against, well, time. For if the perfect clock starts ticking, Time, as we know it, will stop. And then the trouble will really begin. Subtle, sly, thought-provoking, and hilarious, Thief of Time is Terry Pratchett at his best. "This delightful production keeps the listener spellbound," says AudioFile.

The Last Continent: Discworld #22

It's hot. It's dry...very dry. There was this thing once called The Wet, which no one believes in. Practically everything that's not poisonous is venomous. But it's the best bloody place in the world, alright?

Publisher's Summary

Most of us grow up having always known to touch wood or cross our fingers, and what happens when a princess kisses a frog or a boy pulls a sword from a stone, yet sadly, some of these things are now beginning to be forgotten. Legends, myths, and fairy tales: our world is made up of the stories we told ourselves about where we came from and how we got there. It is the same on Discworld, except that beings which on Earth are creatures of the imagination - like vampires, trolls, witches, and possibly, gods - are real, alive and in some cases kicking on the Disc.

In The Folklore of Discworld, Terry Pratchett teams up with leading British folklorist Jacqueline Simpson to take an irreverent yet illuminating look at the living myths and folklore that are reflected, celebrated, and affectionately libelled in the uniquely imaginative universe of Discworld.

As a big fan of Pratchett I had to check out this book and I found it interesting in general though I usually look for audiobooks I can listen to over and over. I can't imagine listening to this as often as most of my audiobooks but I don't regret getting this book as it compares the lore of our world to the lore of Discworld and I found it quite interesting. But if you are looking for another good story of Discworld this is not it. However if you often find yourself thinking "Where did Pratchett come up with that?", you should find this book interesting as well.

I am a huge fan of Terry Pratchett and I quite enjoyed listening to some the background behind the myths and tales from which the discworld borrows. My only complaint is that is spent far too many chapters talking about the Tiffany Aching novels and not enough time on the earlier works. Further, I would have loved to have Nation and Long earth included in the analysis even though they aren’t discworld books. However, overall it was quite informative, interesting, and entertaining.

Where does The Folklore of Discworld rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Among the best, despite the potential spoilers if you haven't listened to/read a lot of the series.

What did you like best about this story?

I always thought Pratchett just had a crazy imagination, but the majority of his characters & theories are taken from Earthly lore. This book shows how much effort he goes to in researching his writing.

Have you listened to any of Michael Fenton Stevens’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't, but I've listened to every other Discworld narrator. I'd rank him second behind Steven Briggs. I didn't like his portrayal of the Feegles. They are supposed to be quick in everything they do but he dragged out their speech.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

How many magpie rhymes do you know?

Any additional comments?

Serious spoiler alerts if you haven't read/listened to a lot of the Discworld series. Other than that it's great to hear how much goes into the writing of the series.

I personally don't get on with Fenton-Stevens' reading. I think I've listened to other readings by him, and there's something I find a little grating about his tone - a kind of heavy-handed emphasis, where for something like Pratchett-related stuff I think a drier, subtler reading works better.

Any additional comments?

I say I think a non-Pratchett fan would enjoy the book because despite the title, the book is really about the folklore of the Earth, using the Discwrold books as a jumping-off point. This makes sense because practically very bit of folklore in the books is based - often surprisingly - on genuine Earth folklore. Critics who don't actually read Pratchett often give him the side-eye for filling his books with things that can't possibly belong to real literature (a world on the back of four elephants and a turtle, treacle mines, verruca gnomes etc) but this book demonstrates how much of the Disc is built not out of a crazed imagination but solid Earth myth and lore.Which is not to detract from the genius mind that put it all together in unique form; the book in fact serves to demonstrate just how learned and wise Pratchett is as a writer.I'm not sure this book added much to my enjoyment of the Discworld books themselves - Pratchett may have used Earth materials, but he has made them so much part of the Disc in the writing that knowing the origins of the ideas often doesn't add very much for me - but it was a fascinating look at folklore in general. There's also a lovely interview recorded at the end between Practhett and folklorist Jaqueline Simpson. Folklore is certainly an area I plan to read more about now.

This book can be alternatively a fascinating and a slog to get through. When I purchased it I was hoping for a more narrative approach to the material like the science of Discworld series where the chapters alternate between a chapter of narrative story and a chapter describing the science behind the elements of that narrative. The Folklore of Discworld instead is a straight up concordance of all of Discworld's magical creatures, sayings, and traditions and where Terry Pratchett got his inspiration for them in traditions and mythologies of Earth.

The book is broken down into Discworld locations, Lancre, The Chalk, Ankh-Morpork, etc... The places are then further broken down into the creatures and folklore of that location and where the elements of those stories came from. A strange aspect of the Folklore of Discworld is that It never says that the real world counterparts were influences on Terry Pratchett, but instead treats Discworld as it it were a real place and chalks up the similarities it has to our world to Narrativium. The fictional Element on the Disc that causes it to resonate with other worlds and evolve similar folklore.

The reader does as best as he can with the material since there is no story to speak of. He does get a few character voices wrong (For example he at first reads Magrat's quotes like an old woman, but later realizes that she is a younger character), but overall does a great job.

This was an amazing study of folklore and of all os us in a comically Pratcehettesque manner. The study of the isms of Diskworld in juxtaposition of our own human beliefs of the things we all know but don't understand.

What was most disappointing about Terry Pratchett and Jacqueline Simpson ’s story?

This is a very good book for those about mid-level familiarity with the series. If you've read it all, you know most of this. There is a lot of interesting information on folklore here, but there's more Discworld summation than new folklore tidbits, and it's a long wait from one to another. Worth it, but not by too much.

Any additional comments?

This is good for the devoted fan or the moderately curious, but know that most of it is review for the well-read Morporkian.

The narrator appeared to have no interest in the book and read most of it in a very flat, almost monotonic voice, sounding thoroughly bored. Where he attempted to produce voices for the characters he was quite poor, IMO. The only thing that would improve this audio-book would be a complete re-recording with a narrator who had considerably more empathy.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Folklore of Discworld?

Listening to the discussion between the two authors at the very end.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

He showed no interest and less empathy, losing any trace of the whimsey inherent in any Pratchett book.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Grave disappointment.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

April

Musselburgh, United Kingdom

5/4/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Fascinating."

We own this in paper format too, and I enjoyed it so much that I wanted it in this format to enjoy on the go. A couple of mispronunciations pulled me out of the narration a few times, but this is such a great book. Full of fascinating insights into the Discworld and our own folklore. It's also worth buying the whole audiobook just for the interview at the end with PTerry and Jacqueline Simpson.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Amazon Customer

Birmingham

9/8/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Where do the Disk world and ours touch"

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

If you enjoy disk world (I do) the this helps you recognize where the folk lore of disk world draws on ours and may be where in the future our folk lore will draw on that of disk world

Would you be willing to try another book from Terry Pratchett and Jacqueline Simpson ? Why or why not?

Yes because whilst not as enjoyable as other disk world novels as there is no continual narrative it made other disk world novel's references clearer

What does Michael Fenton Stevens bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

You can listen whilst doing other things

Could you see The Folklore of Discworld being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?

No

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Report Inappropriate Content

If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.

Your report has been received. It will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.

Can't wait to hear more from this listener?

You can now follow your favorite reviewers on Audible.

When you follow another listener, we'll highlight the books they review, and even email* you a copy of any new reviews they write. You can un-follow a listener at any time to stop receiving their updates.

* If you already opted out of emails from Audible you will still get review emails by the listeners you follow.